Q: about the definition of a word

Question

Appologies if i have posted incorectly.just thought you might be able to help.My friend and I are having a discussion about the definition of the word "Spinster".According to most definitions I can find a Spinster is an unmarried woman. Is there a distinction between Unmarried and Never been married.I suspect that Spinster refers to both, but would like to know if there is a seperate word definition for a woman who has NEVER been married.Dav)D

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"The)Dson" typed thus:
[nq:1]Appologies if i have posted incorectly. just thought you might be able to help. My friend and I are having ... but would like to know if there is a seperate word definition for a woman who has NEVER been married.[/nq]
Old Maid? Does Spinster any longer have a legal meaning? What would you call a woman who lived with a man for 50 years but never married?

Mind, spinning wheels are not so common these days.

David
x-posted to aue where there are more people to argue about this ==

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Appologies if i have posted incorectly. just thought you might ... word definition for a woman who has NEVER been married.[/nq]
[nq:1]Old Maid? Does Spinster any longer have a legal meaning? What would you call a woman who lived with a man for 50 years but never married? Mind, spinning wheels are not so common these days.[/nq]
Yes would be nice to know what the legal meaning of both situations is.

I have thought "maiden lady" or something with "maid" would be better suited to a woman who has never married.
Spinning wheels are very common in pantos !
Dav)D

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Appologies if i have posted incorectly. just thought you might be able to help. My friend and I are having ... would like to know if there is a seperate word definition for a woman who has NEVER been married. Dav)D[/nq]
OED defines spinster as a woman 'still unmarried'. It was originally someone who worked at spinning. That was the hallmark of a never-married woman. When you married, you did the other womanly things of the day. If your marriage ended, you didn't return to spinning. 'maiden ladies' was a term used (in the days when it was politely assumed women didn't have *** before marriage) and 'old maids' was a less polite version of that.

John Dean
Oxford

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Appologies if i have posted incorectly. just thought you might ... word definition for a woman who has NEVER been married.[/nq]
[nq:1]Old Maid? Does Spinster any longer have a legal meaning? What would you call a woman who lived with a man for 50 years but never married?[/nq]
Usually, 'his daughter'.

John 'now Willie Mossop...' Dean
Oxford

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Appologies if i have posted incorectly. just thought you might ... definition for a woman who has NEVER been married. Dav)D[/nq]
[nq:1]OED defines spinster as a woman 'still unmarried'. It was originally someone who worked at spinning. That was the hallmark ... it was politely assumed women didn't have *** before marriage) and 'old maids' was a less polite version of that.)[/nq]
A woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried is a "widow." A woman who has divorced and not remarried is a "divorcee." A woman who is married is, of course, a wife. With "spinster" that pretty much covers all basic permutations.

Bob Lieblich
Very married

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John Dean typed thus:
[nq:2]Old Maid? Does Spinster any longer have a legal meaning? ... lived with a man for 50 years but never married?[/nq]
[nq:1]Usually, 'his daughter'. John 'now Willie Mossop...' Dean Oxford[/nq]
I have a vague theory that every actor has one part for which they/he/she/it were/was born.
Shelley Duval = Olive Oyl, Val Kilmer = Doc Holliday and so on.

We saw Hobson's Choice at the Royal Exchange in the Spring. It's my opinion that John Thomson *is* Willie Mossop.

David
==

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]OED defines spinster as a woman 'still unmarried'. It was ... and 'old maids' was a less polite version of that.)[/nq]
[nq:1]A woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried is a "widow." A woman who has divorced and not remarried is a "divorcee." A woman who is married is, of course, a wife. With "spinster" that pretty much covers all basic permutations.[/nq]
A woman who has not divorced but who has remarried is an idiot.
John Dean
Oxford

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Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn were definitely born to be Van Gogh and Gauguin. I tend to exclaim "who are these impostors?" when photographs of the real artists are used to illustrate articles. Fake paintings may never quite match the real thing, but fake artists are almost always an improvement.

Peasemarch.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn were definitely born to be Van Gogh and Gauguin. I tend to exclaim "who are ... illustrate articles. Fake paintings may never quite match the real thing, but fake artists are almost always an improvement. Peasemarch.[/nq]
Kirk Douglas was born to be just about every part he played - Spartacus, Vincent, Dempsey Rae and every soldier-with-a conscience he ever portrayed.
Tony Quinn, OTOH and IMHO was born to play Zorba the Greek and was prevented from doing so only by Kazantzakis' inexplicable delay in waiting until 1943 to write it and 1952 to have it translated into English. The delay until 1964 to film it was beyond his control. Before 1964 Quinn gave us Zorba the Spaniard, Zorba the Mexican, Zorba the Native American (several times), Zorba the Hun, Zorba the Hunchback, Zorba the Inuit, Zorba the Howeitat and many more but we could not see, for Michael Cacoyannis was spending too much time in the Theatre. Post-1964 we got Zorba the Pirate, Zorba the Paratrooper, Zorba the Mafioso (several times), Zorba the Pope and many more. And this time we knew who we were watching.
Not that I don't like watching the Mighty Quinn - far from it. And I treasure the observation from a woman journalist who interviewed him once - " He told me he wanted to impregnate every woman in the world. At first I didn't realise he meant it literally."

John Dean
Oxford

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn were definitely born to be Van Gogh and Gauguin. I tend to exclaim "who are ... to illustrate articles. Fake paintings may never quite match the real thing, but fake artists are almost always an improvement.[/nq]
Any fake has to be better than Damian Hirst or Tracy Emin. And my fridge and my bedroom are certainly better art than they ever managed. As for paintings, the beauty of it is that the real thing probably is usually a fake. You can't seriously tell me they knew how to paint as well as Leonardo back in the fifteenth century. I bet Joey would back me up on this.
Mike.

Q: about the definition of a word

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